Guidewires and methods of using same

Abstract

A guidewire includes a body and a tip. The tip is configured to be energized by an RF generator connectable to the body. The guidewire is configured to tunnel through an internal lumen of a blood vessel, tunnel through a wall of the blood vessel, and tunnel through non-vascular tissue outside of the blood vessel.

1 . A guidewire, comprising:
 a body; and   a tip, wherein:
 the tip is configured to be energized by an RF generator connectable to the body; and 
 the guidewire is configured to:
 tunnel through an internal lumen of a blood vessel; 
 tunnel through a wall of the blood vessel; and 
 tunnel through non-vascular tissue outside of the blood vessel. 
 
   
     
     
         2 . The guidewire of  claim 1 , wherein the guidewire is configured to tunnel through a pedicle bundle outside of the blood vessel. 
     
     
         3 . The guidewire of  claim 1 , wherein the guidewire is configured to tunnel through at least a 2 mm distance of the non-vascular tissue. 
     
     
         4 . The guidewire of  claim 1 , wherein the guidewire is configured to tunnel through at least a 3 mm distance of the non-vascular tissue. 
     
     
         5 . The guidewire of  claim 1 , wherein the guidewire is configured to tunnel through at least a 5 mm distance of the non-vascular tissue. 
     
     
         6 . The guidewire of  claim 1 , wherein the guidewire comprises a refractory metal. 
     
     
         7 . The guidewire of  claim 1 , wherein the guidewire comprises tungsten. 
     
     
         8 . The guidewire of  claim 1 , wherein the guidewire comprises a ferrous metal. 
     
     
         9 . The guidewire of  claim 1 , wherein the guidewire comprises a ferrous metal core disposed within a shell of tungsten. 
     
     
         10 . The guidewire of  claim 1 , wherein the guidewire is configured to be directed by a magnet. 
     
     
         11 . The guidewire of  claim 1 , wherein the guidewire comprises an internal lumen, and a directional fiber disposed at least partly within the internal lumen. 
     
     
         12 . The guidewire of  claim 1 , wherein the guidewire comprises a directional fiber coupled to an exterior of the guidewire body. 
     
     
         13 . The guidewire of  claim 1 , wherein the guidewire is configured to:
 tunnel through the wall of the blood vessel at a first point;   tunnel through the non-vascular tissue outside of the blood vessel; and   tunnel through the wall of the blood vessel at a second point to form a passageway through the non-vascular tissue from the first point to the second point.   
     
     
         14 . The guidewire of  claim 1 , wherein the guidewire is configured to:
 tunnel through the wall of the blood vessel at a first point:   tunnel through the non-vascular tissue outside of the blood vessel; and   tunnel through a wall of a second blood vessel at a second point to form a passageway from the first point to the second point through the non-vascular tissue.   
     
     
         15 . A method of bypassing an occlusion, comprising:
 inserting a guidewire into a vessel;   directing the guidewire into tissue surrounding the vessel at a first point:   tunneling through the tissue surrounding the vessel with the guidewire; and   directing the guidewire into the vessel at a second point to form a passageway through the tissue surrounding the vessel from the first point to the second point, wherein the guidewire is RF energized.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the occlusion is positioned between the first point and the second point in the vessel. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the tissue surrounding the vessel is a pedicle bundle. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the vessel is an artery. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising passing a catheter over the guidewire and through at least a portion of the passageway. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising passing a stent graft over the guidewire and through at least a portion of the passageway. 
     
     
         21 .- 41 . (canceled)